


Sleeping Patterns

by zinjadu



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka does what she wants anyway, Anakin cares about appropriateness, Fluff, Gen, Sleepy Cuddles, when it isn't about him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 19:56:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8460934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinjadu/pseuds/zinjadu
Summary: Anakin tries to get Ahsoka to stop falling asleep on the troopers after battles.It goes about as well as you would expect.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Charity_Angel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charity_Angel/gifts).



Anakin, once he had seen how useful, determined, and talented Ahsoka was, came around to the idea of a Padawan rather quickly. She was bright, powerful in the Force, and dedicated to getting the job done. It had never entered his mind that he might have to pay attention to certain things because she was female.

 

Medical stuff was one thing, but this.

 

This might be a problem.

 

“Ahsoka, we need to talk,” he said, trying to go for a serious ‘I’m your Master and this is important’ tone without falling into exasperation like Obi-Wan did. She went from her normal, exuberant self to Jedi Padawan-perfect in seconds flat, standing quietly, hands clasped serenely in front of her, and her eyes fixed on his face.

 

“Yes, Master,” she said, and he could also feel the undercurrent of confusion and worry in her through their bond. He instantly felt like backtracking.

 

“Don’t worry!” he exclaimed, holding his hands up. “You aren’t in trouble, and you really haven’t done anything wrong.” She frowned.

 

“Then, what _is_ wrong, Master?” she asked, raising a white brow at him, some of that spark coming back into her eyes. He sighed, running his hand down his face, trying to think of a way to say this without feeling awkward. So he forged ahead regardless.

 

“It’s… about how you sleep,” he began, and then she really looked confused.

 

“I sleep wrong?” she questioned him, a note of incredulity in her voice.

 

“No! Ugh,” groaned, running his real hand through his hair, his frustration was mostly at himself, and by the cheeky grin on his Padawan’s face, she knew it.

 

“Ahsoka, you can’t keep falling asleep on the clones,” he told her, point blank. “Its not appropriate.”

 

“I honestly didn’t think about it, Skyguy,” she said honestly, her expression thoughtful now. “I mean, they’re like brothers to me, and I guess I just drop where I drop. Sometimes I’m so tired after a mission, I don’t want to go all the way back to my bunk.”

 

“I know that feeling, but you need to try. I know that you want to be a part of the battalion, and its great that you’ve come to understand our troopers so well so quickly. They can tell that you care, and it means a lot to them, and me,” he said, hoping to take some of the sting out of this for her.

 

“I understand,” she said seriously. “And it won’t happen again.”

 

* * *

 

Ahsoka tried.

 

She really did try.

 

The first time she had passed by a pile of sleeping troopers, taking what rest where they could on the hard ground after a particularly nasty battle, they looked like she had kicked them and called them names instead of just not curling up with them like normal.

 

She had even passed by Hardcase. He had always been more expressive than the average trooper, his heart on his sleeve. And his mouth going a mile a minute, much to his superior’s annoyance.

 

He had looked so _hurt_.

 

But in her own bunk, actually set up for once, she tossed and turned, missing the soft snores and deep breathing of troopers at rest. The contained watchfulness of the men staying up to guard their brothers solid, steady presences in the Force, and the combined _comfort_ of so much trust and camaraderie.

 

And then there had been those wounded expressions.

 

Sighing, she threw off the covers and snuck back to where her men were sprawled out. They all cracked an eye at her approach, even with her soft footfalls.

 

“Okay guys, just this once, but Skyguy said I have to stop,” she told them, curling up on Hardcase’s armor. “He said it wasn’t appropriate.”

 

“Its okay, Commander. We won’t tell,” Hardcase said and threw an arm around her, like she was the galaxy’s biggest stuffed toy. It really was much better than her own, isolated bunk, and it made the men happy to have her close. She really did have a hard time seeing any harm in it.

 

* * *

 

“Rex, you need to talk to her,” Anakin implored his captain.

 

“Don’t see why me saying anything will make her stop if you can’t, sir,” Rex said, and Anakin felt like screaming. The men talked, and word was getting around that his Padawan curled up with clones to sleep. Nothing inappropriate _ever_ happened. Rex had personally assured him of that. Every last man of the 501 st loved Ahsoka as a _vod’ika_ , Rex had reported, a little sister. She was _one of them_ , but also a _jetti_ , and therefore treasured.

 

But if other Jedi found out about this, he could not be sure what would happen. To either of them. That, and Anakin had an obscure feeling that he really should have a little more control of this situation.

 

“Because she respects you, Rex,” Anakin said, trying not to sound desperate. Rex blinked.

 

“Sir, are you saying she doesn’t respect you?” Rex asked, and Anakin _knew_ Rex was laughing internally even though there wasn’t a single indication that he found the situation funny. Anakin sometimes wanted to kick something when he encountered obtuse clone humor. Especially when it was aimed at him.

 

“She does, but I don’t think I can make her see that this _isn’t appropriate_ ,” he said, stressing the last. Rex sighed.

 

“I don’t claim to understand how Jedi or even non-clones think of what is and isn’t appropriate sir, but she isn’t hurting anything. In fact, she’s helping. You know the men think that whoever she sleeps on is lucky? That he’s gonna make it through the next battle? Hell, if he gets drooled on, they’re pretty sure that means he’ll live through the week. And it makes them feel a bit less like troopers, sir. She gives them hope, she gives them something outside of a troopers life, and these men, they might not believe they need it, but they do, sir,” Rex said in that implacable way he had when he got on a roll. Rex never wasted words, and so when he strung so many together, Anakin listened.

 

And he promptly felt like someone had let all the air out of his sails.

 

“That,” Rex continued after a beat, a wry smile on his face, “and there’s no stopping her, sir. Or the men. I’ve tried already.”

 

Anakin laughed and clapped the other man on the shoulder.

 

“Alright, Rex, she wins,” Anakin said. “Why do I get the distinct impression that even though I give the orders around here, she’s the one who runs this battalion?”

 

“Couldn’t say, sir,” Rex said, his face blank, but his eyes brimming with laughter. Anakin couldn’t fault him for that.

 

All things considered.

 

* * *

 

“Thought you said you couldn’t do this anymore, Commander,” Jesse said as his commander sprawled over him and Kix.

 

“Skyguy said as long as it was in the open, were everyone could see there was no _inappropriateness_ , that he could let it slide,” she said, arranging herself until she was comfortable and she wouldn’t be in the way of their holsters in case some clankers thought sleeping troopers looked like a tempting target.

 

“I really don’t get why people get so hung up on this stuff,” Kix muttered. “Touch is vitally important for…”

 

“We know, Kix,” Jesse said, throwing an arm over his eyes. “Shush, sleep time now.” Ahsoka giggled softly at the familiar banter, and felt her eyes drift shut, surrounded by her _vod_.

 

And the troopers, men born and raised on Kamino, only knowing grudging praise from Mandalorian trainers, men who had mostly known the fist and the boot and the blast, slept. They slept peacefully, comforted by a brightness that they didn’t know how they had ever done without.

**Author's Note:**

> Because Charity_Angel brought it up first, and it was cute, so I ran with it. Hope you enjoy, friend!


End file.
